Every synthetic brush I try seems to be the same. I've tried three brushes at three different price points and they all seem to feel great but work poorly. I experience a lot of backbone and nice, soft tips, but all the lather seems to pass out of the brush near the base of the knot. It seems the same with every soap and cream in my stash. I end up with a ring of lather around the base of the knot, and the only way to transfer it to my face is with a finger from my other hand. Am I the only one with this issue? Am I doing something wrong? Should I just stick to badger? What say you wise ones?
Synthetic woes
- Thread starter vanhooglesnort
- Start date
I have no idea what to say as I don't seem to have what I'm understanding your problem to be? However, I can say the Plisson being very floppy and make-up brush like, seems to disperse it's lather a little easier. Do you use that or something similar? For quite a long time now my daily has been an 19mm EJ STF, and it has been serving me very well. Again though, completely different from the Plisson.
I have had four different syn brushes. The only one, for me, that excels is the Muhle Silvertip Fibre. I guess I am old school but I like one with some backbone. I know so many folks here like the Plisson Cade type of brush - but for me it's just OK. I have tried the following syn brushes: HIS, Parker, no-name, and Muhle and the only one that feels like a real brush for me is the Muhle.
I have an Omega "S" and a Satin Tip and I will say that I DO know what you are talking about. I don't use a finger from my free hand though, I just wipe the side of the brush on my face at the beginning of the next pass. This does not however, result in a lack of soap for subsequent passes since I do load it like I hate it.
I wonder if it has something to do with water not actually absorbing into the fibers like it will with animal hair? I don't know, I don't even find it a minor inconvenience.
Good luck, use whatever works best for you.
I wonder if it has something to do with water not actually absorbing into the fibers like it will with animal hair? I don't know, I don't even find it a minor inconvenience.
Good luck, use whatever works best for you.
The Muhle STF is the front runner in synthetic brushes (my opinion) but the Omega Hi Brush is a solid second. Those knots work as well for me as any good badger. Far superior to pure badger for sure
What brushes have you tried?
It's a bit of a trick to get my Omega S10065 synthetic to load and lather properly, but my RazoRock Plissoft and my Whipped Dog 24mm synthetic both load and whip up lather like nobody's business.
It's a bit of a trick to get my Omega S10065 synthetic to load and lather properly, but my RazoRock Plissoft and my Whipped Dog 24mm synthetic both load and whip up lather like nobody's business.
Yep, this. Or just roll the side of the brush on your bare face, and keep on keepin' on.
I find as I'm working the lather up in the first moments that it's a good idea to scrape the proto-lather back into the bowl. When I'm painting on the face, there comes times to also scrape what's coming out of the root into the bowl and be ready to whip it up some more. If you're still fanning on the face every once in a while you can use painting motions and pull it off the root area onto the face and tips... or scrape it into the bowl... Ya, some are like this; and some will allow you to get the lather firm enough and thick enough to minimize this... and it can happen to boar, badger, and horse too.
I agree that the Plisson has too little backbone and hogs lather, but for me the Muhle won't splay naturally. To me the Whipped Dog and the Ubersoft feel the most like a quality badger, and release lather like a quality badger. Not the same, mind you, but good enough to use daily.
I think you have too much water in the brushes so they are doing that. I had a similar problem at first with synthetics till I changed how I loaded them with soap. Try just skimming the tips in water, give a little shake and then load some soap. Go back and skim the tips and load some more. When you have enough soap loaded I go and start face lathering. I add water as needed by skimming the tips till I have the lather I want. It is almost as if you have to let the soap hold the water as a synthetic brush will not hold water.
Bob
Bob
I don't get soap deep in the knot, but I get water dripping out on my chest. Annoying.
From all the synthetics I have used, there are two that stand out: Muehle STF (my travel brush with a 19 mm knot, good for multiple passes with a snurdle of cream) and the Simpson Chubby 2 synthetic, this one acts like a badger, and has a nice backbone.
I use synthetics because of their durability and ease of use, but my favorite brushes by far are boars. Because synths don't hold any water, I shake them out a bit more before loading the soap. Usually I get pretty decent lather. My favorites are the Plissoft and Satin Tip.
I have some very nice, high quality badger brushes and very seldom use them since my Plisson synthetic arrived. I found the advantages to be: (1) no need to pre soak the brush; (2) more lather with less Creme; (3) easier clean up of the brush. I use a scuttle and after giving the brush a couple of shakes to lessen the water, I'll use the scuttle to start the foam. After some "rounds", I scrape the brush from the knot to the tips to put the foam in the bottom of the bowl, and continue to whip. It makes luxurious foam. Now I don't face lather but if I did, BobLH's advice sounds correct to me. After my experience with a synthetic, I don't believe that I will go back to badger.
- Thread starter
- #15
Thanks for the advice everyone. I think this is just a YMMV situation. I want to like synthetics but badger just works better for me. Looks like my next PIF will include a brush.
If badgers work better for you, then by all means stay with them. Just out of curiosity though, which synth's have you tried?
- Thread starter
- #18
A cheap, Body Shop branded one, a Dreadnought, and one more I can't remember. They all felt different, but functioned identically.
Are you pressing too hard?
- Thread starter
- #20
